Kerns: Selling Lubbock is not a difficult assignment for local residents

Posted: May 7, 2011 - 4:18pm

Oddly enough, it was a discussion with local movie theater exhibitors that reminded me that one thing all of us can do better is promote the arts in the city we call home.

I happened to be confirming that every Metropolitan Opera satellite broadcasts from New York City would be available at Movies 16. This was shortly after I noticed the growing number of indoor digital auditoriums at both Cinemark multiplexes, and the investment that owner Ryan Smith made in turning his three-screen digital Stars & Stripes into a fully digital business.

I would wager that this is not what movie lovers expect when visiting Lubbock.

But there are bigger projects to push.

Even one of The Avalanche-Journal’s news editors told me that she had researched Lubbock before considering a major move to Texas, but she was unaware of all the music, dance, art and theater in Lubbock until paying a visit.

For that matter, I overheard a comment indicating that she was impressed that Texas Tech’s School of Music had offered performances of John Adams’ “On the Transmigration of Souls.”

Concert programming may seem like such a little thing, until one notices that the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra also has played original pieces.

It is not a matter of trying to be better than other organizations. Rather, it is gratifying just to notice that those in charge of local arts organizations are not satisfied with the status quo.

They want to grow, to improve.

Even the thought put into programming is a step forward.

Too many — and I have been approached by several — were unaware that this city has its own symphony orchestra and school of ballet. There also is a separate Youth Orchestra League, and an impressive new Flatlands Dance Theatre presenting performances of all dance forms.

But how many who live elsewhere think only of Texas Tech, and too often only its sports teams, when they hear the word Lubbock?

True, the local theater community has enjoyed more productive years, at least in terms of sheer numbers of community stages. But theater in Lubbock is far more organized and professional today than ever before.

One does not have to depend on professional touring productions brought to Lubbock by Celebrity Productions for a stage musical fix. Instead, one needs to keep his or her eyes open and notice — and for gosh sakes, support — local and area theaters.

And I would include the educational theater offerings at the university level.

The Texas Tech theater department, CATS and Lubbock Community Theatre may come to mind first, but a number of others play roles in the same theater community.

Theaters are often, but not often enough, full. What impresses me is that those in charge now depend on reputation and consistency to sell tickets, rather than a season of easy-to-sell, popular titles.

During a recent chat with William Lowell, president of Civic Lubbock Inc., the subject of better promoting Lubbock arose. Lowell, for example, was dismayed that more people have not taken advantage of each month’s First Friday Art Trail.

As much as it has grown — and boy, has it grown — he rightly concluded that there are many who have yet to give it a try.

In fact, he laughed when I told him what I wanted to name The A-J’s Friday supplement. Before it was re-named GO, back when we were discussing the need for a Friday arts and entertainment supplement, an editor requested possible names.

I wanted to name it Get Off the Couch.

We settled on Around Town.

But then, and now, all of us could do a better job of letting everyone know about every musician working, every exhibit available.

For practically nothing, one could devote a Saturday or Sunday to visiting galleries, perhaps seeing the holocaust photographs at the Museum of Texas Tech, and then attend a screening of an acclaimed tornado documentary at the Omnimax.

Lubbock’s Omnimax theater already ranks with the very best, although improved seating would help.

Bottom line, there is so much to do, see and appreciate in Lubbock. But the first step to informing others is to take a first step ourselves, then depend on the power of word-of-mouth.

Lowell said, “Anyone who thinks there is nothing to do in Lubbock just needs to open their eyes.”

And, I would add, get off the couch and truly take advantage of the city they call home.

Talk about the movies at my journal Reel to Real. Or chat about theater, music, dance and visual arts at Center Stage, both journals at lubbockonline.com.